Boudoir blog for women in Maryland, Virginia & DC who are interested in booking a boudoir photoshoot near them. Products, clients, tips and tricks are a few of the things you’ll find on the Lavish Boudoir Blog.
Valentine's Day lingerie from stores other than Victoria's Secret
We all think of Victoria’s Secret for that little bit of briefly worn lingerie for Valentine’s Day. But there are so many options out there for you.
As a boudoir photographer who helps women of all shapes, sizes and styles dress in a way that makes them feel sexy, I need to know where to send my clients.
These are my favorite places to shop for….
COMFORTABLE & CUTE LINGERIE:
Aerie
Anthropologie
Hanky Panky - recently had a less-than-stellar customer service experience, so buy their stuff from Nordstrom, instead.
SPECIALIZES IN CURVES
SEXY FOREIGN BRANDS
Ann Summers (pick up a bedroom toy while you’re there)
Honey Birdette
Gossard
DECADENT & SPLURGE-WORTHY
BUDGET-FRIENDLY
LAST-MINUTE
Amazon.com (yes you read that right. it takes some digging, but there are cute pieces.
What are your favorite places to shop for lingerie? I’m always on the lookout for new designers!
Black Bodysuit for Boudoir
Still on the simplicity kick here… a black long sleeve body suit. With coloring like snow white… K looks absolutely stunning in this suit. You can find similar ones at Yandy.com, AmericanApparel.com or even Amazon.
Boudoir pro tip: the ones without crotch snaps are better if you can find them.
The dream tutu
When I asked Miss K to come in and test some new ideas for the studio, the wardrobe we picked was your standard ideas. Lots of black. A cheeky t-shirt. Fabulous boots.
But after sifting through her bag, I found a small tulle skirt and thought to pair it with her pretty burgandy bralette. A few shots in, my wheels started turning and I remembered my gorgeous ombre tulle skirt from the mother-daughter shoot.
Presenting arms full of tulle, she giggled and said, “Oh my god! My dream tutu.”
This is what we came up with:
Photography: Leslie Cersovski at Lavish Boudoir™
Makeup: Makeup by Adeana
5 "Outfits" in one hour - A simple, but sexy shoot with Lavish and Ms. J.
So many of my clients tell me they have no idea what to wear. This is from a recent shoot with J. After a dozen or more shoots together, we always wonder if we can get something unique. Well, we did. But here’s the coolest thing, we used practically nothing for this and got a huge variety of looks in a one-hour photoshoot.
Outfit #1: White sheets and a lot of skin
Outfit #2: nothing but skin
Outfit #3: a body necklace we have in studio
Outfit #4: a cute little bodysuit you can get pretty much anywhere
Outfit #5: a sexy bikini that she brought
I occasionally browse Amazon because prime means that even procrastinators like me can get last minute lingerie in time for their photoshoot. These items aren’t the finest quality like Agent Provocateur or Honey Birdette, but they’ll photograph beautifully in a pinch. Please note that the default color on the list is not necessarily what I recommend. When in doubt, black or red. Never white stockings. Ever.
See my amazon shopping list here.
Photography by Leslie Cersovski at Lavish Boudoir™
Makeup by Adeana Dillon at Makeup by Adeana
Lighting for Boudoir
When I started photography back in 2006ish, I knew absolutely nothing about light. I knew how to point a camera at a subject, I knew basic posing, and I knew how to make a woman feel comfortable in front of the camera. My studio was called “Photography by Leslie Anne.” My photographs were as generic as my name.
In 2008ish, I attended a workshop with one of the most brilliant wedding photographers in the world. Jerry Ghionis offered a workshop just one state away and I jumped at the opportunity.
The first thing we did was publicly display our portfolio for critique. I was pretty proud of my work. Jerry had other opinions. He basically told me that all of my light was flat and boring. Well, then…
Turns out, he was right. Luckily, the next 3 days were dedicated to seeing light. To understanding the difference in high key, low key, short light, broad light and flat light. We learned to use buildings as reflectors, to tuck models into strange places to get some artistic framing and how to turn a warehouse wedding into a memorable photo op.
I don’t photograph weddings anymore, but I credit his teachings to knowing and understanding light.
This photo was taken in my studio with the same light and the same angle for the model. Each says something entirely different to me and appeals to different viewers.
Which light do you prefer?
Oh, and he’s the one who gave me the idea for the studio name, LAVISH. Huge improvement in the name. He still offers workshops, so if you’re still learning photography as a professional, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Too... This, That, or the Other - Why Imperfect is Beautiful
I hear all the time from clients that they're too old, too fat, too droopy, too thin, too wrinkly, too flabby... too imperfect to be photographed. It breaks my heart. This week I had a 60+ woman in my studio who is waifish and tall. Last week I had a 23 year old who is curvy and petite. What made each of them sexy is that they put their insecurities aside and trusted me. Trusted me to show them beauty isn't about a size, a shape, or a feature. It's vulnerability and the confidence to see that imperfections are amazing. These are some of the things I've heard from clients, who ended up near tears at how much they love their photos.
I'm fat.
I'm old.
I'm too young.
I'm too thin.
I'm too short-waisted.
I'm too long-waisted.
My nose is too big.
I hate my smile.
My hair never looks good.
I don't know how to do my makeup.
My thighs are too thin.
My thighs are too fat.
My butt is too flat.
My butt is too big.
My ankles are so thick. (That one might have been me.)
My boobs are too big.
My boobs are too small.
M boobs are too droopy.
My legs are too long.
My legs are too short.
I wish I worked out more.
I wish I'd lost 10 lb.
My ears stick out.
My teeth are weird.
My face is too round.
My face is too narrow.
I have a double-chin.
My arms are too wobbly.
I have a huge zit.
I have so much cellulite.
My stretch marks are so bad.
My face is too wrinkly.
I hate my freckles.
My lips are too thin.
Some of these comments have come from these beautiful women. Could you ever imagine one of them saying such terrible about themselves?
